Sergei Filin, the director of the world renowned Russian ballet theatre, the Bolshoi, had acid thrown in his face last Friday. He has since undergone surgery in an attempt to save his eyesight, but, as he told a Russian newspaper (Komsomolskaya Pravda), being ill is no obstacle to running the theatre, so he's doing it all from his sickbed.

"Even from the hospital I can keep track of what's going on in the theater," he tells the paper, clearly running a tight ship. "I call my assistants and artists, send documents... The feeling that I'm still in charge, gives me the strength to continue fighting for my health."

Despite being strong, he is still confused about the attack and why anyone would do it. "Believe me," he said "I could not imagine that the story of threats over the case. I could imagine the Internet being covered by photos of me, naked on stage, or even... in the bath along with Cindy Crawford. With modern technology, nothing is surprising. But I did not think this kind of direct violence would be possible."

He did admit to having received threats, and asking others at the theatre for protection, but his main priority seems to be about the fate not only of the theatre but of his country, if such behaviour is to continue: "If the attack on me has no solution, I don't know what has to happen to our country to gain the appropriate attention from the country's leadership and its security services."